A tragic incident involving an illegal hot air balloon ride in Brazil has resulted in the death of a newly married passenger due to strong winds causing a crash.
Gabriel Nascimento, 27, and her fiancé Tiago Cempinas, 37, traveled from Rio de Janeiro to the city of Voitova in São Paulo, a seven-hour journey, arriving around 5 AM before participating in the clandestine operation.
“It was really windy in Voitova, so I asked the receptionist if we were still going to fly. She said ‘Yes,'” Nascimento remembers.
After boarding the balloon, the couple learned that they were one of two balloons being inflated secretly.
Nascimento, who is a college student, didn’t realize she was about to be proposed to during the flight; instead, she was preoccupied with her fear of heights.
“I expressed my concerns about the wind. The pilot assured me that he was using an aviation device to monitor everything and that it would be safe to fly until 9 AM,” she recounted.
The ride included 31 other passengers as they ascended to about 328 to 492 feet when Cempinas proposed to Nascimento.
Yet, shortly after this beautiful moment, conditions worsened and the pilot began losing control of the balloon.
“It was amazing until it turned into a nightmare. It was terrifying,” Nascimento reflected. “I doubt I will ever ride in a balloon again, let alone an airplane.”
Some passengers, including students, watched as the second balloon had to land quickly due to the strong winds.
During the chaos, pilot Fabio Pereira communicated over the radio as the situation deteriorated.
“The balloons started moving too fast. He attempted to land at Orange Grove,” Nascimento recalled.
At one point, she saw four passengers thrown from the basket as the wind carried the balloons across the field.
After managing to land briefly, Nascimento, her fiancé, and most of the other passengers were able to jump out.
In the aftermath, Nascimento noticed Juliana Pereira, 27, who had no relation to the pilot.
Emergency services were called, but she was pronounced dead later at a nearby hospital. She had sustained severe injuries, including a broken nose and was unconscious when found, according to G1.
“There was so much screaming. Sadly, the injured woman was in bad shape. Her husband was trying desperately to save her,” Nascimento said, describing the panic that ensued.
Eleven passengers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries after the rough landing, as reported by G1.
Pereira, a newlywed herself, had taken the balloon ride to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Brazil, which is observed on June 14th.
“She was such a beloved person. I can’t believe Ju is gone,” said Leandro Pereira’s grandmother, Maria Aquino.
“I still cannot accept it. This trip took her life away.”
Jessica Aquino, the grieving aunt of the husband, criticized the pilot for disregarding safety, considering the windy conditions.
“She was really looking forward to this trip. But why would you put 33 people in that balloon with such bad weather?” Aquino questioned.
“The conditions were awful, and it was completely negligent to let them fly.”
Authorities later discovered that hot air balloon pilots are only permitted to conduct private flights. The pilot has since been arrested and faces charges of aggravated manslaughter and conducting illegal operations.
